Designed to SELL!

THANK YOU FOR INVITING US IN

TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY

Refreshments courtesy of

Cathy Edwards

Senior Loan Officer

NMLS#557382

Michelle MacDonald,

A.I.F.L. Interior Design

Grand Entry Home Staging by Envisage Interiors

Interior Designer since 1984

Wendy Geise, M. Ed ASP® IAHSP

Goals for today’s

workshop

How proper Staging helps your listing appeal to a

wide range of Buyers

Specific tips and techniques to assist your clients

Tools for your Realtor® tool kit

Hands-on practice

Answer your burning questions and concerns

regarding Staging!

Activity:Write down your most burning questions about

Staging on the sticky note and place it in the

designated spot on the wall. We will answer your

questions!

Question…

Who has a definition of Staging

they would like to share?

Definition of Staging

Home Staging is professionally preparing a house for

sale, so that it will appeal to the most buyers and

generate the highest price, in the least amount of

time on market. Staged Homes traditionally

present themselves better than the competition

by being clean, clutter-free, and ready to show to

prospective buyers.

Home Staging is NOT decorating, fluffing, interior

design. Instead, Home Staging is detailing, de-

cluttering, depersonalizing and preparing a seller's

home to give it a "model home" appearance so that the potential buyer can "see“ themselves

living in the home.

Staging should evoke…

Mood

Feelings

Emotions

CODE OF ETHICS

The Golden Rule!

Keeping the needs of both Seller and Buyer in

mind

Practice in a responsible, honest, equitable, and

trustworthy manner; Never misleading or deceptive

Safety Knives and weapons stored out of sight

No children’s names visible

FUD

Enlist the help of

-FEAR

-UNCERTAINTY

-DREAD

Home vs. House

HOME

Where you live

and relax

Reflects your

personal style and

taste

A private space or

retreat

HOUSE

A product

marketed to the

public

Should appeal to

a wide range of

buyers

Offers neutral

decor

Top 10 Challenges We See in Homes…

Raise your hand if you’ve ever

encountered…

10. Evidence of pets

9. Your family…not mine! (family photos, religious art,

etc)

8. Lacks cleanliness

7. Unpleasant odors

6. Worn out accessories and furniture

5. Overgrown landscape

4. Poor lighting

3.”Skittles” rooms

2. Not quite vintage

And for number 1…

CLUTTER!!!!!

That’s why working with a knowledgeable realtor® or

Staging professional is important! We are a fresh set

of trained eyes for a property! We know what Buyers

are looking for!

“Buyers Only Know What

They See...

Not the Way it’s

Going to Be!”

— Barb Schwarz

Creator of Staged Homes®

Here are a few photos I just

pulled from TMLS the other

day!

To whom is this house being marketed?

Just a few more…What is this

room/house saying

to buyers?

Focal point of this

room?

Proper Staging would help

this house sell! Research

indicates: Staged homes SELL FASTER

Bring TOP DOLLAR!

Staging is not expensive! Instead of

spending money on Staging think of it this

way:

“A minimal, upfront investment in Staging

costs less than your first price reduction!”

Recently Staged in Raleigh

(before)

Have you

ever seen

this?

A LOT of stuff

in a SMALL

space!

Recently Staged in Raleigh

(after)

• Rugs

removed

• Furniture

edited

• Living

spaces

clearly

defined

Just a few stats…

Activity

Let’s put your prior knowledge into action!

Stage it!

Framing activity

The Ideal

Life Cycle of a Listing

6-12 months out-begin purging/sorting, seed

lawn, replace dead plants/bushes, gutter

maintenance, pressure wash and paint exterior as

weather permits, repairs and removal of popcorn

ceiling

3-6 months-pack up seasonal clothing, HVAC

serviced and cleaned

1-2 months-professional cleaning, window

washing, interior paint

At any point along the process-contact home Staging professional

Now let’s get specific about

getting a house ready for

listing!

The Nuts & Bolts of Preparing

a House for Listing

First Impressions/Curb

Appeal

Fresh paint on front door and house if needed

Up to date hardware

Potted plants

Enlist the help of a professional arborist if needed

Clean walkways and paths

Manicured lawn and plants

Porch furniture if applicable i.e. pair of white

rocking chairs

Organizing and Purging

Collect and label five sturdy boxes:

1. “I LOVE it!”

2. “Puzzled but can’t toss it”

3. “Pack and store for new home”

4. “Donate”

5. “Trash” or use a garbage bag

Items Clients Need to

Pack Away…

Valuables and breakable items

Personal photos, artifacts, awards, trophies, etc.

Religious artifacts (crosses, menorahs, shrines, etc.)

Collections-3 or more of anything makes it a

collection (Teddy Bears, Dolls, etc)

Heavily perfumed items (incense, plug-ins, etc)

Shredding Sensitive

Documents

Marrins Mooving Service (shreds every Tuesday)

Shimar Recycling

http://www.shimar.com/serviceshred.html

Pristine Clean!

Buyers will be turned off if a house is not clean! Don’t

be afraid to tell your Sellers that you recommend a

professional cleaning to all your clients.

Bathrooms and kitchens should shine! There should

be no evidence of mold-replace caulk if necessary.

Have grout cleaned if necessary (Stanley Steemer

offers this service at a very reasonable rate). Cloudy

shower doors need to shine!

All Neat and Pretty!!

Surfaces & Finishes

(Allowances are so passe!)

Flooring-carpet, wood, tile

Ceiling-Paint, popcorn

Countertops-granite, epoxy paints

Wallpaper!

Repairs

Now is the time to fix everything on that list! Explain

to Sellers that they will have to do it at inspection

time anyway so it’s better to promote the house the

best way possible early on to bring those offers!

Windows should open and close easily

Screens labeled, cleaned, and stored

Appliances should be in good working order or

replaced

Check for cracks in walls, tiles, etc.

Basically anything on that “Honey Do

List” needs to be done BEFORE listing!

Lighting General-conveys with property

Task-defines function of area

Ambiance-sets the mood

Natural light (think of Winter showings vs. Summer)

Paint

If your interior or exterior paint shows wear or is taste

specific in color, now is the time to paint! Light, bright,

and airy helps bring offers. Dark colors should be

avoided, and can often make a room appear smaller

than it actually is!

We have some favorites, we’d love to share with you!

Pale, warm grays or greige are popular and neutral!

Wendy’s favorites: Sherwin Williams Repose Gray,

Accessible Beige or Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, or

Edgecombe Gray

Michelle’s favorites: Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige,

Agreeable Gray, Balanced Beige, Classical White,

Relaxed Khaki or Behr Smooth Stone, Benjamin Moore

Classic Gray or Ralph Lauren Squire

Must-Have Accessories Entryway large flower pots

Wall mirror

Large bowl

Tray

Books

Vase-medium to large

Throw

Pillows

New towels

Large soaps

Greenery

Blackboard with local events and school activities, community info

Accessories can help define the function of a space. The Bowling Ball Rule!

Window Treatments

Clean windows!

Not taste specific or blocking natural light

Simple is better

Show off the views!

Furnishings

Furniture layout-traffic patterns and gathering

area-help define the space

Accessories-less is more, enhance

Art-moves you through the space-should not be

taste specific

Staging….Ready, set, SELL!

Set the stage for your listing with appropriate

furnishings and accessories that highlight the

positive features of the home.

Instruct your clients to be ready for showings: Neat

and tidy, lights on, soft music, pleasant aromas,

toilet lids down, sink clean, toys under bed, fluffy

and clean towels displayed, yard maintained!

A recent listing in

Hope Valley!

The homeowner agreed to paint the master

bedroom of this 1960 ranch. The result-lighter and

brighter!

Squeezing out EQUITY!

Before After!

Junk Room vs. Second bedroom

Proper Staging Incites

the 5 Senses!

Visual-creating a mood

Touch-how does it feel?

Aroma-neutral but comforting

Audio-balance of energy and tranquility

Taste-does your home leave a good taste in

potential Buyers’ mouths? Offer a tasty treat!

(seasonal)

How do I offer Staging

services without offending

my client?

“I offer a Home Staging Consultation as a

standard part of my listing services.”

“A professional Home Stager will be able to give

us both an unbiased opinion about how the

house will be perceived by potential Buyers.”

Now let’s apply what we’ve

learned to your listings!

Who would like to volunteer to share their listing?

How could we improve this listing?

You can always call on a

Staging Professional!

We offer a variety of services for every situation and

for every budget. We can do as little or as much as

clients need!

Walk & Talk

Written consultations

Hands-on Staging of occupied home

Vacant Staging for unoccupied home

Ask about our Realtor® programs!

Questions, Concerns?

Thank you for your time!